During manufacture, a helicopter rotor blade is often tested to ensure that the rotor blade tracks properly. In some examples, a rotor blade tracks properly when the blade has little to no out-of-plane displacement. An out-of-plane displacement may be generally observed when one end of the rotor blade spins in a different rotational plane than the other end of the rotor blade. Even if a rotor blade tracks properly when coming from a manufacturer, the rotor blade may physically change, causing the rotor blade to track improperly.
There are various technologies used to correct the rotor blade to cause the rotor blade to track properly. For example, the rotor blade itself may be modified by having a portion of the rotor blade removed. In another example, one or more trim tabs may be installed on the trailing edge of the rotor blade. In a still further example, a tracking wedge may be installed on the rotor blade. The tracking wedge, along with other modification methods, may be used to change the aerodynamic profile of the rotor blade as well as its weight. The change to the weight and/or aerodynamic profile of the rotor blade may cause the blade to change its tracking, reducing the out-of-plane displacement. However, tracking wedges and other aerodynamic modifications may undesirably induce an increased noise signature associated with the rotor blades.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure herein is presented.